


Unraveled Words In the Easy Morning

by daintylemonsquare



Category: Rise of the Demigods
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Disabled Character, Fluff, M/M, Unprotected Feelings, You know except for the part where Kree thinks Zendar is DEAD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 17:00:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20067466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daintylemonsquare/pseuds/daintylemonsquare
Summary: All is quiet and still around the clearing where their airship rests. Without much to do except wait for morning to come, Zendar and Kree strike up a conversation atop it.





	Unraveled Words In the Easy Morning

**Author's Note:**

> This is a direct response to episode 30, 49 minutes and 52 seconds in, where Kree says, "Oh, I wish Zendar were here."  
Also I wrote this then posted it immediately so I apologize for any syntax errors.

Kree was awoken by Virok for the next watch. His fist glowed at the initial jolt of consciousness. His heart was tittering like a manic canary in a collapsing tunnel. After the night they all had, after seeing the Dean lose control as they escaped, his dreams were less than restful. A torrent of apologies followed suit, both from him and Virok. His hand fell limp. Virok’s panic fell limp too. Once their half-conscious verbal stumbling was over, Kree got out of bed and stretched, meanwhile Virok dragged his feet towards the room he shared with Malvorn. 

“There’s some water right by the cockpit and Kailu made tea,” Virok said, stifling a yawn. 

Kree nodded. “Um, do you know who will be keeping watch with me?” 

“Astrid’s staying awake with Luna. There’s Kailu in the common area. I believe Zendar will be joining as well.” Virok said it with such nonchalance that Kree couldn’t help but feel a barb of irritation at his ease when talking about Zendar. Then that irritation twisted back to himself, turning into self-consciousness. It wasn’t Virok’s fault that he was having such a visceral reaction to Zendar’s presence. He supposed he was just jealous of it. He wished he could talk to Zendar without sounding like the first day he was learning how to fly. Zendar made him nervous in a way looking down a steep cliff’s edge made him nervous right before he jumped. He could feel it bouncing around in his stomach, heavy and jittery and warm. It was the kind of warmth that he didn’t think he would ever associate with someone as intense as a tiefling who could literally be made of shadows. Yet, there he was, playing with tiny sparks of light, spiraling over whether or not he should join Zendar, wherever he may be lurking, or if he should, as normal kids say, “play it cool.” 

Kree went for the tea first. He saw Luna’s white fur on the east side of the ship while he saw Astrid twirl one of her blades on the west side. There was time for him to ease into it. 

“Kree.” There was no time for him to ease into it. Some of the tea spilled onto his hand. The feathers on the back of his head ruffled to attention. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Zendar’s thick, buttery voice had Kree’s heart beating so fast that he swore Zendar could hear it, which made his self-consciousness start treading into embarrassment. 

“No. Sorry. I should’ve been, you know, should’ve been more alert. All things considered.” Kree tried to smile as he wiped some of the tea against his feathers. “Tea?” 

Zendar shook his head. “Already had mine earlier. Perhaps some other time.” 

“Okay… How long have you been up?” 

“Not long. I’ll be going into the woods to forage for food and scout down here. I think you should fly around the area to see if there are any threats headed our way.” 

“Sounds like a plan,” Kree said with a nod. 

“Excellent.” Zendar smiled. He didn’t smile in the way that Wendell smiled, all teeth and cheeks and glee. If one wasn’t paying attention to his lips, they would think that Zendar had a nervous facial tic. It was so small that Kree could’ve imagined it. Nevertheless, it had left Kree’s chest feeling soggy.

Then Zendar put a hand on Kree’s arm. “I best be going. See you in the skies.” 

Kree was very, very still. He felt that in all of his feathers. “Yeah. Um, be safe.” 

Zendar stopped mid-step and Kree began to panic, wondering which of those uttered syllable was the incorrect one. Before he could stumble through another apology for a mistake he wasn’t sure of, Zendar said, “Thank you. You too.” He continued walking out of the airship and didn’t look back. Kree breathed in, held it, and breathed out. It was going to be a long night. 

* * *

Save a couple of beasts skulking near their haunts almost a mile away from their clearing, there was nothing much to see. In terms of threats, at least. There was plenty to see up where he was in a clear night like this. It was calming, just to fly around. The temple, though open, left Kree a little claustrophobic. He couldn’t fly wherever he chose to, though he swore he wouldn’t flee. He wanted to be at the temple. It wasn’t easy to leave his tribe but wanting to know more about his powers and where he came from cushioned his exit for him. But when they gave him a small area to fly around in, unease came knocking and began to settle. He wasn’t sure how long it was going to take before he broke that rule just to stretch his wings, or exploded from nerves after being confined in a space that wasn’t as vast as what he was used to. Thankfully, he wasn’t going to find out, despite the obvious cost. 

Kree circled back to the airship. He did one last sweep of the immediate vicinity before beginning his descent. He saw Zendar on the top deck and waved. Then remembered Zendar couldn’t see him and felt foolish. At least no one else saw. He alighted on the deck with a soft click of talons to wood. Zendar’s head jerked to the sound. Before Kree could announce himself, Zendar turned away. 

“Hello, Kree,” he said, sending a tiny ripple of pleasure to each feather. 

“How do you do that?” Kree asked with hesitant jest. 

“Can’t mistake the shape of an aarakocra,” he replied. 

“I could’ve been any aarakocra. I’ve heard some live around these parts,” he said, climbing on the rail just to Zendar’s right, and settling on it. 

Zendar paused, picking at his nails. “I suppose you can say that I’ve...grown accustomed to your shape.” 

“Oh…That’s really. Yeah. Okay.” Kree could feel himself glow for a moment. There was a rush of divine power that buzzed across his skin and feathers. Though his ability generated heat, whenever he used it, the sensation was akin to the first breeze of winter. A piercing chill that simulated heat. It left a tingle along the edge. He had to check if there were pinpricks of light anywhere on him. He hoped Zendar didn’t think much of it. Or, at the very least, wasn’t repulsed by its connotation. 

“You and the others as well,” he added after another pause. 

“Oh…” Kree hung his head, then nodded. 

“It’s just for safety purposes. I may not be able to see them but at least I’ll know if it’s them or just someone from their kind,” he continued, facing the horizon. 

“I never thought of it that way,” Kree said. “It must be hard, not being able to see the whole thing. Just shapes of their shadows, in the dark.” 

“It’s the only sight I know,” Zendar replied. “There are challenges but I’ve learned to adapt. As with any sense, it has its advantages and disadvantages.” 

Kree clutched the railings and he hoped he wouldn’t snap parts of it off. “I’m so, oh my god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—oh crap—that was so insensitive—” 

Zendar waved his hand. Kree almost relaxed himself off the ship. “It’s fine. Don’t worry. I knew you meant no offense. It was a fair assumption to make. Not having all five senses at your disposal, especially one as essential as sight, is difficult to grasp for someone like you who can see more than the regular person. It may seem like the most terrifying thing ever, but it’s not, really. I don’t know a life before it and I learned not to envy it.” 

Kree wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Zendar was unbothered by it. There was nothing to comfort. He couldn’t exactly agree since he couldn’t imagine a life without his sight. There were no good responses. As the silence grew between them, Kree felt the urge to fly away with a half-hearted excuse. He figured that would be worse. Like he was avoiding Zendar after he shared some insight to himself.

He turned to Zendar and couldn’t gauge how the silence was affecting him. He supposed Zendar was comfortable in it. He was a quiet guy who kept to himself. Being the demigod of shadows, Zendar could also be someone who thrived in silence. Kree couldn’t tell for sure. Zendar’s expression was smooth and impassive. 

“It would be nice though,” Zendar said, looking up at the sky. “Hypothetically, I mean. I’m already so different. A tiefling. A demigod.” Kree noticed that Zendar was going to add another descriptor but thought otherwise. “I wonder how different life would be if I could see like the rest of you.” 

“Then you wouldn’t be who you are now,” Kree said. “And…” And Kree remembered the Dean, thrashing and crashing into walls and shooting beams out of his eyes. He remembered how Zendar just narrowly escaped that to get on the silver disc on its way to the airship. He remembered all the things he wouldn’t have said if Zendar weren’t here and the bitterness of regret at the back of his throat that came with it. “And...I like who you are now.” 

Zendar stayed still. He even stopped picking at his fingernails. He faced Kree, eyes not quite meeting his own. “I seem to remember you saying you found me...intimidating.” 

“I think what I said was ‘terrifying,’ but sure.” Kree chuckled, causing Zendar to smile. Another burst of light zipped across his feathers. “You are intimidating, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like you.” 

Zendar’s fingers moved again then he turned away. “Thank you.” It was quiet again but now it was a blanket to get comfortable under rather than a straitjacket. 

They stayed quiet for a minute, watching Luna and Astrid play a little, listening to the rustle of the trees. Then Zendar said, “What does the sky look like right now?” 

Kree looked up at the star-spangled horizon punctuated by the moon. He chose to disregard the green comet making its way down. Dawn wasn’t quite breaking, but it was close. He wasn’t sure where to start. Normally, he could just describe it as was. Zendar had no idea what it looked like as it was. “I know,” Zendar continued, “I know I may be asking for too much but humor me for a moment. Don’t overthink it.” 

Kree kept his head to the sky. “Okay… So...Imagine a lake. Or a river. Or I don’t know, a brook. Okay, a lake. Think of a lake. Imagine walking along the shore. The wind is blowing and you hear small waves. Under your feet there are pebbles. They don’t bother you. They’re soft and rounded out, but you feel them. You hear them move and clack into one another. Does that make sense?” 

“A little.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“No...Keep going.” 

“Uh, alright. Um…” Kree closed his eyes. “There was this one time I was at a lake when I was younger. It was super calm. The water was almost completely still. The sky is like that feeling when you run your palm over still water. You’re almost afraid of breaking through it because in this state it’s a lot like glass and you don’t want to get in trouble for breaking glass.” 

“I beg to differ,” Zendar teased. 

“Well, I was.” Kree turned to Zendar to share a smile but Zendar was just looking out into the forest. Nevertheless, there was a hint of amusement in his lips. Kree continued. “I did say almost. When something is so still like that and then you’re a child, you have the urge to disrupt it. So I threw a bunch of pebbles in. Like more than two handfuls. They splash at different intervals but still in a sort of satisfying harmony. Then it echoes a little. Then it’s still again. The sky is loud with stars but still so very still.” 

“That’s a nice way to put it,” Zendar said. He hesitated for a moment, then added, “Mother said that the stars were a fixed point in the sky made of light. She wasn’t as descriptive as you.” 

Kree sighed. “I doubt what I told you gave an accurate picture of what they look like.” 

“That’s the thing.” Zendar’s smile grew. Not by much but it was wide enough that Kree could definitely say that Zendar was smiling and Zendar wouldn’t be able to deny it. “It’s not about getting an accurate picture. I’ll never see it. You made a better effort. Thank you.” 

If it weren’t too forward, and if he were bolder, Kree would’ve said that the night sky looked like the way Zendar made him feel when he smiled at him. “It’s my pleasure,” he breathed. 

“Do you mind doing more?” 

As long as it meant a longer conversation? “Sure,” Kree said. 

“What do clouds look like?” 

“Have you ever held a bunny?” 

Zendar’s smile flickered away and he was lost in a thought for a second before saying, “Yes. I have.” 

“It’s like that but it’s not moving.” 

“Sure.” 

It went on for longer than Kree expected it to go. The whole time, he expected to say something wrong or Zendar would get bored or he would lose all the words, especially when Zendar asked him to tell him what the color violet looked like. But nothing went wrong, Zendar was rapt, and Kree kept chattering away. The sun rose. The stars and moon disappeared behind a flurry of colors that Kree scrambled to describe in the middle of describing what a rainbow looked like. It was a perfect opportunity to go through the colors in quick succession alongside the rising, but tender, heat of a sunrise. Of course, Kree stumbled with as new colors joined the fray. His sentences ran into and bumped into each other. He would’ve found this mess of a conversation mortifying but Zendar was patient. Zendar was smiling. Zendar made him feel like dark blue shading into periwinkle with blushes of pink scattered all over as orange shouted right behind it all. 

“Take a breath when you can,” Zendar said with a hand on Kree’s shoulder. “There are still many sunrises for you to describe. This won’t be the last one.” 

Kree tittered. “Sorry. I got excited, I guess.” 

Just then, Astrid climbed to the top of the airship. “Good morning,” she announced. The rest followed suit. Janus, then Teodor, then St. Barb. Kree knew right away what was going to happen next before Astrid could say it. “Sorry to intrude in this lovely moment. We need to talk to Zendar.” 

“Oh! Yes. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Let me just—” Kree started maneuvering himself off the railing and back into the deck. He would’ve done it alone just fine but Zendar took his hand anyway. Under the sun, he hoped that the light that ran from rippled from the hand Zendar held to every feather on his body would be inconspicuous. However, looking at Janus’s smirk made him realize that it was everything but. “Thank you for—um.” Zendar wasn’t letting go of his hand. Everyone’s eyebrows rose. Kree looked up, then down, then to the nearest mountain, then to Zendar. 

“Let me bring him down, if you don’t mind,” Zendar said. 

“Don’t let any of us stop you, please,” Janus said, his tone suggesting more than a simple “see you later.” 

“How does that even work?” Kree heard St. Barb whisper they passed by. He tried not to look at them. “Oof. Ow. That hurt.” Teodor shushed him. 

When they reach the foot of the entrance, away from the eyes of the others, Zendar moved them in a shadier area. “Thank you for your efforts. I hope you didn’t find my requests so arduous.” 

“Hey, no. Like I said, I’m happy to do it. It was...It was nice spending time with you. Alone.” Kree squeezed Zendar’s hand then slid out of his grasp. Zendar nodded, almost a bow, and began to turn. 

“Wait,” Kree said and Zendar waited. 

His lean stuttered. His chest fluttered and bent on itself. Whenever he felt jittery like this, it usually meant that danger was around the corner and that he should run away and protect himself. But this was just Zendar. And these were just his feelings. And he was a demigod. He shouldn’t be afraid of something as mundane as expressing himself. He wasn’t shy about it earlier. He wasn’t going to let himself stop now. 

“What is it?” Zendar asked. 

“Sorry. I—” Kree sighed. He held Zendar’s hand again and leaned in close enough that he could feel Zendar’s breath on his feathers. “Thank you for earlier. For sharing things and letting me ramble on about colors in a weird way. Let’s do it again sometime?” 

“Yes. Please,” Zendar replied the moment Kree ended his sentence. 

Pinpricks of light appeared at the ends of Kree’s feathers. He pressed his beak on Zendar’s cheek in his version of a kiss then eased himself away. “Go. It seems like it’s something important.” Zendar nodded. 

Kree walked away and after a few steps, he looked back. Zendar was still standing there, hand hovering over his cheek. Kree’s smiled so wide his eyes felt like they disappeared behind the feathers on his cheeks. 

**Author's Note:**

> Title directly inspired by Nothern Downpour by Panic at the Disco.  
Follow @incorrectROTDG on twitter lol


End file.
